I went through this exact same confusion when I filed in December! The waiting week thing is really poorly explained on their website. What helped me understand it was thinking of it this way: your initial application just establishes your claim and determines your weekly benefit amount. The waiting week is specifically the first week you're actively claiming benefits (filing your weekly claim). So you're absolutely right - you'll get your first payment after filing your second weekly claim, not after the first one. It's frustrating because you're already dealing with job loss and then have to wait an extra week for money, but unfortunately that's just how Washington's system works. Hang in there!

I had the exact same confusion when I filed my claim in February! The ESD website really doesn't make this clear at all. I spent hours trying to figure out if I had done something wrong with my application. What I learned is that your initial application date and your first weekly claim date can be completely different - and it's that first weekly claim that starts your waiting week clock. So even though you applied on January 15th, your waiting week officially began when you filed that first weekly claim. It's definitely frustrating when you're budgeting and expecting that first payment sooner! Just wanted to add that once you do get your first payment, the timing usually becomes pretty predictable - mine comes every Tuesday like clockwork now. Hope that helps ease some of the stress!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - been in adjudication for 6 weeks and my savings are completely gone. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly reassuring! It sounds like the consensus is crystal clear: you can absolutely do DoorDash while waiting, just be 100% honest when reporting your earnings on weekly claims. I love all the practical tips people shared about keeping records - the screenshot idea for daily earnings summaries is genius. What's really encouraging is hearing from so many people who eventually got approved AND received partial back payments for the weeks they did gig work. I was terrified that any kind of work might somehow red flag my case, but it sounds like the adjudication process and gig work are completely separate issues. I'm planning to start DoorDash this week too - we've got to survive somehow while ESD takes their sweet time! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for providing real advice when you can't get through to ESD on the phone.

I'm currently in week 4 of adjudication and this entire thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! It's such a relief to see so many people confirm that doing gig work won't interfere with the adjudication process. I was really hesitant to start any work because I kept thinking it might somehow complicate my case, but reading all these detailed accounts has given me the confidence to move forward. The consistent advice about reporting gross earnings honestly and keeping detailed records makes total sense. I'm planning to start with DoorDash this weekend and will definitely use that screenshot tip for tracking daily earnings. It's also encouraging to hear about the partial back payments - knowing that you can still receive some benefits for those weeks where you did gig work takes a lot of pressure off. The financial stress of waiting weeks and weeks with no income is brutal, but at least now I know there's a way to get by without jeopardizing my claim. Thanks again to this community for providing such valuable real-world advice when getting through to ESD seems impossible!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My claim has been showing "paid" for 4 days and I was starting to panic that I had made an error with my direct deposit information. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had absolutely no idea that "paid" status just means "approved for processing" rather than "money actually sent to your bank." The terminology is so misleading! I haven't received my eligibility determination letter either, so it's reassuring to hear that's completely normal. I'm definitely going to check my Payment History section like @Nia Williams suggested to get the actual processing date. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 5-10 business days is pretty standard, especially for first-time claims. It's stressful waiting when you have bills due, but at least now I know this delay is normal rather than a sign something went wrong. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this community provides way better information than the confusing ESD website!

I'm experiencing this exact same frustrating situation! My claim has been showing "paid" for 5 days now and I was getting really anxious that I had somehow entered my direct deposit information wrong. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver to read through - I had absolutely no idea that "paid" status actually just means "approved and queued for processing" rather than "your money has been sent to your bank account." The terminology ESD uses is incredibly misleading! I also haven't gotten my eligibility determination letter yet, so it's really comforting to know from everyone's shared experiences that this is totally normal. I'm definitely going to check my Payment History section like @Nia Williams recommended to find the actual processing date. Based on what everyone has posted here, it sounds like 5-10 business days after the processing date is pretty standard, especially for first-time claimants like myself. The waiting is definitely stressful when you have rent and utilities due next week and you're counting on this money, but at least now I understand this delay is just part of their normal (albeit confusing) process rather than a sign that something went wrong with my specific claim. This community has been infinitely more helpful than trying to decode the vague information on the official ESD website - thank you all for sharing your real experiences and helping reduce the anxiety that comes with navigating this system!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Got laid off from my remote position at a Seattle startup while visiting my partner in the Netherlands (I have EU work authorization through my Dutch passport). Filed my claim about 6 weeks ago and it's been stuck in adjudication ever since. The waiting has been absolutely brutal financially, but I'm trying to stay optimistic about the 2023 rule changes. I've been super diligent about documenting everything - job applications to both US remote positions and local Dutch companies, uploaded my passport and work authorization documents, and even included a detailed letter explaining my immediate availability for US work. One thing that's kept me sane is setting up Google alerts for remote positions at US companies, which has actually led to several promising interviews. I make sure to mention in my weekly claims that I'm applying for remote work that would allow me to work from anywhere. The financial stress while waiting is really tough, especially when you're already dealing with the emotional impact of job loss. But reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that we're all doing the right things and the updated rules should work in our favor. Hoping to hear some positive resolution stories from this group soon - we all deserve some good news after this stressful waiting period!

I'm also going through this same situation and found this thread incredibly helpful! Got laid off from my remote job at a Tacoma-based company while visiting my spouse's family in Ireland (I have Irish citizenship through ancestry). Filed my claim about 3 weeks ago and it immediately went into adjudication. Reading everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and nerve-wracking - reassuring to know I'm not alone and that the 2023 rule changes should work in our favor, but nerve-wracking to see the 6-8 week processing times some people are mentioning. I've been following the advice from this thread and proactively uploaded my Irish passport, a detailed availability statement, and documentation of my job search activities. I'm focusing heavily on US remote positions and have actually had two virtual interviews already, which I'm hoping shows strong evidence of my availability for US work. The financial uncertainty while waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially on top of the stress of job loss. But it's encouraging to see that people who went through the full adjudication process eventually got approved and received backpay for all the weeks they claimed. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and advice - it's making this waiting period much more manageable knowing there's a community of people going through the same thing!

Welcome to the community! I can see you're getting excellent advice here. As someone who's helped many people through their first unemployment claims, I just want to emphasize that you're handling this exactly right by asking questions upfront. The waiting week can definitely be confusing, but the consensus here is correct - since you worked your full 40 hours that week, select 'No' for job search and choose the full-time employment reason. One additional tip: when you start your job searches next week, make sure to document not just where you applied, but also the date, method (online, in-person, etc.), and position title. ESD can be pretty specific about what they want to see if they ever audit your job search activities. Also, attending job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews can count toward your 3 weekly activities if traditional applications aren't available in your field. You're off to a great start by being proactive about understanding the process!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this same situation! I was laid off in February and had the exact same confusion about the waiting week job search requirements. Everyone here has given you perfect advice - definitely select 'No' for job searches since you worked 40 hours that week, and choose the full-time employment reason from the dropdown. One thing that really helped me was setting up a simple folder on my computer to keep all my unemployment-related documents organized - confirmation emails, job application screenshots, WorkSource registration info, etc. It made filing my weekly claims so much smoother once I got into the routine. Also, don't stress too much about the waiting week not paying out - I know it's frustrating when you need the money, but think of it as a practice run to get familiar with the system before your actual benefit weeks start. You're asking all the right questions upfront, which will definitely save you headaches later. The ESD process seems overwhelming at first, but it really does get easier once you file a few claims. Good luck with everything!